September wasn't that long ago and we sure had a lot going on! Enjoy some snippets of our September to remember.
School was in full swing for Thad and Wes and Eve are always around to send him off!
I love that they were obsessed with their backpacks because of Thad.
Labor Day weekend rolled up before we knew it and the boys got to participate in another triathlon that Michael Duke organized.
I'm not sure how this is the only picture I got of Wes, but it is-
He didn't win his age group, but he finished strong anyways!
Thad was excited on his bike and did really well with his pace for the whole race.
And luckily he has that cutest brother to always cheer him on!
We stuck around to help out and watch the older boys.
These Duke boys sure are two of our very favorites. I am so glad my boys have these two to look up to. I often ask, "What do you think the Duke boys would do or say in this situation?" My boys always come back with the right answer.
Go Dukes!
The day after Labor Day Wes finally had his FIRST day of Pre-K. We waited somewhat patiently for two weeks while Thad left to school every morning and was over the moon when it was finally his turn!
Miss Shelley is also in the Primary presidency in our ward so was very well acquainted with Wes. I knew that everyone who has sent their kids to her loved her preschool, but she has been nothing short of amazing and I am so happy we decided to send him to Laughing Hearts Preschool this year. He has flourished just as I thought he would.
I started teaching him to read a couple weeks ago and he is catching on so well. Being a part of teaching my children to read has been so fulfilling to me. Being able to read changes an individuals world and watching it open up my four year olds eyes and mind is such an awesome thing to witness. I am so proud of him!
I love seeing this smile every single day when he gets in the car after a day at school. He sure brightens our world!
The night before Eve's birthday Brian's Aunt Sharlene invited us to a varsity football game, Belton vs. Round Rock. We had not seen Sharlene and Bryce for a while and never been to a varsity game and couldn't pass it up! The stadium was only ten minutes from our house and the kids were so excited about it!
We found out that Eve is a football game lovin' fool when marching bands, cheerleaders and all sorts of dancers are involved. We had to leave around 9:30 p.m. because it was a school night, but all the kids would have loved to stay for the entirety of the game because it was so entertaining. It also helped that Sharlene is the nicest and gave each of the kiddos a toy and snuck in some yummy treats! It was a really fun night and even though we didn't get to chat with Bryce we enjoyed watching him coach on the sidelines.
We made a goal as a family to make it to the San Antonio temple and we finally marked our calendars and headed down on September 17. We had to make our favorite pit stop, of course-
Salt water taffy and Beaver Nuggets tied us over until lunch time! We love Buc-ees!
Brian headed into the temple first thing to do initiatories while I hung out with the kids on the grounds. I left Thad in charge while I ran to the van to grab something and I came back with them sitting perfectly together on the bench-
When I saw them from afar like this it was one of those, I-can't-believe-they're-mine-and-they-make-me-so-happy moments, that I hope I never forget. I love them so much.
It was a little warm out so we hung out in this shade for the whole time dad was inside-
And the exciting thing that kept ups busy was the "beanut berries" the boys discovered-
We weren't sure what they were...Beans? Nuts? Berries? So I dubbed them "beanut berries" and the boys loved it!
We had to stomp on them to get them open and sometimes stomping on and searching for random items makes for a really fun afternoon!
We only had to wait about 45 minutes for dad and I headed in while they walked around and checked out the distribution center.
The Monsens love to see the temple!
BUT, we don't love when we get home from the temple to a broken A/C...womp, womp, womp.
We didn't realize for a couple of hours that it wasn't working because it was a really hot day (heat index of 111 degrees) so we just figured it was doing it's best to keep up with the heat. Well when we finally figured it out it was too late to get the repair man over so skimpy jammies and fans everywhere were in order for the night.
We all slept surprisingly well but I got REALLY grumpy getting three kids ready for church in an 85 degree house! Three hours at church was just what the doctor ordered and kept us safe from the sweltering heat of our house. After church Brian stayed home and waited for the repair man while the kids and I headed to the Duke's for lunch because there was just no way we could all function and be sane. Luckily it was a quick fix and the house was ready to for us before dinner time. Texas and it's heat is no joke, folks!
